Dishes teach kids healthy eating

We’re working to spread word about a Colorado company that has designed dishware aimed at helping families chart an easier path to healthy living by watching their food portions at mealtime.

Livliga — a name that comes from a Swedish word meaning lively, vibrant or vivid — sells dining ware and serving utensils for children and adults. Every piece has unique indicators to help people visualize and consume appropriate portions as indicated by a recipe or single serving size noted on a package. The company’s dishware set for children is accompanied by a book, Sammie & Sax in the Land of Quinoa: The Search for a Balanced Meal, that aims to teach healthy eating for kids in a fun, engaging way.

Livliga_kids_blue After creating a prototype of the dishware, Livliga’s founder, Sheila Kemper Dietrich, and her husband, Walter, lost more than 50 pounds each. They’ve worked hard to share their weight-loss strategy with others.

Indeed, Americans could use help establishing healthier eating habits — which are good for mental health, too. Consider:

More than one-third of American adults, or about 78 million people, were obese in 2009-2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A Duke University study forecasts that 32 million more people could be obese by 2030.

The average American dinner plate has grown by almost 51 percent since 1900, with plates expanding from 9.6 inches to nearly 1 foot in diameter. At the same time, so have serving sizes sold by commercial entities. Think Big Gulps and super-sized fries.

Livliga offers a 16-piece service for four that includes dinner plates, salad/luncheon plates, bowls and mugs. Four-piece, individual place settings also are available. For more information, please visit www.LivligaHome.com.